October 14, 1939 – December 11, 2017
at the age of 78 years
Graveside Service: Private family service
Gordy was born in Edmonton, AB on October 14, 1939 and passed away on December 11, 2017 in Salmon Arm, BC at the age of 78 years.
Gordy was a man of action. He enjoyed: flying his ultra-light; playing with Slink (the cat); touring on “Clyde” the motorcycle; growing corn; playing the piano; shooting pool; fly fishing in the Bella Coola River; salmon fishing at Nootka Sound; moose hunting near the Alaska Highway; camping in beautiful BC, especially Fintry; driving his Minneapolis Moline Tractor in the Fall Fair parade; boating on Shuswap Lake; gold panning in Wells; installing, sanding and finishing hardwood floors; turning out bowls and pens on his wood lathes; cooking potato pancakes for the un-book club; picking grapes, making AP wine; debating smart meters; scuba diving in the Bahamas; spear fishing in the Florida Keys; halibut fishing in Haida Gwaii; buying caribou antlers in Tuktoyaktuk; driving in his 1955 GMC pick-up; operating a dairy farm; riding his ATV with Heidi (Long haired dachshund); canoeing on Trout Lake; fishing at Bonaparté Lake; picking pine mushrooms at Kitwanga; dancing with Linda; driving his 1969 Cadillac; designing and welding a cook stove; goose hunting on the farm; soaking in the Nakusp Hot Spring; gathering firewood from the cedar park for the backyard fire pit; feeding the birds, especially the California Quail and Pheasants in his backyard and aviary; enjoying “Happy Hour” with pizza and AP wine. All these adventures were shared with family and close friends.
Gordy was predeceased by his son Jordan on Dec. 25, 2016 at the age of 40 years. He is survived by his loving wife Linda; son Darrel (Tamara); daughters Arlene (Marc) Froese and Betina Henschell; step-sons Dan (Sini) Grutchfield and Calvin (Sandy) Gruchfield; grandchildren; Taylor, Jessica, Cassidy, Kennedy, Bryce, Cora, Tyler, Adrien, Olivia and Emma-Kate; great grandson Bentley; and by his brother Don (Gloria) whom he was very close with.
Our condolences to you Linda and all the families. RIP Gordon
Dear Linda,
Please accept my sincere condolences on Gord’s passing. I heard about his and your trials from Di and Hugh and know the dedicated and compassionate care you gave throughout his illness. He was truly lucky to have you by his side. I wish you strength and peace to continue with the next phase of your life.
Linda, not having much interaction over the past few years has meant that reading of Gord’s passing is ‘a shock’ to me today. People that are full of life and laughter like you and Gord are supposed to live forever.
I am very grateful for the memories I have of the two of you … always a joy to meet with you and to provide assistance in whatever way I was able to contribute to your lives. I still have a beautiful custom wood-carved pen designed and fabricated by Gord and yourself for clients of my private financial planning firm … and it serves as a great reminder of the high quality of character that you and Gord shared with every one with whom you connected.
May you sense God’s blessings in a very special way at this time. Please don’t ever hesitate to call on me for anything … at anytime Linda. Ed Grainger
Linda, all of our staff and Rita and myself are so sorry for your loss and will miss Gordie, his sense of humour, his stories, and his upbeat-personality. Gloria’s comment of your care during his illness will never be matched is right on. When I last visited him in Bastion to look after his dental needs, I was so happy that his teeth had been cleaned so well by you! This is extremely rare from my experience of seeing our patients in hospitals, care homes, etc. After looking after his oral needs for 41 years, it was so great that he told me he was so proud of his teeth. It was great that he could enjoy his dental rehabilitation for his last few years. We always had a lot of laughs when we were working on Gordie. He was the first patient I ever had who said NOT to use any anaesthetic on him back in 1976. He had such deep cavities that I asked him, “Doesn’t it hurt?” He replied “I feel it a little but I hate having that numb feeling afterwards. That’s worse.” When I had to do actual surgery on him, I told him I had to freeze him. Gordie’s response was, “Okay, as long as you know it’s for you and not me!” We talked about drinking his homemade wine and having the BBQ in your backyard with you and him. The hardwood floor he put down in our house is still pristine. He did a beautiful job. He had passion in his work, hobbies, and life in general. You were a great partner and have fond memories.
Dear Linda,
My deepest sympathy to you on the loss of your beloved Gord. The words that you and your family wrote for the newspaper encapsulates the image of a man who lived life to the fullest, brought energy and skill to every endeavor and was a joy to simply be with. Your circle of friends and family are here to support you as you carry on.
Please accept our most heartfelt sympathy Linda. Over the years we enjoyed visiting with you both when we came to Salmon Arm to visit Don and Gloria! Gordie was always full of life and energy and always had a story to tell. We hope that your wonderful memories of of him will give you strength and comfort to get through this very difficult time. Your heart is hurting and we hope that keeping close with family such as Don and Gloria will build a wall of strength around you to build you up!! We will remember you in our prayers Linda!
Thinking of you Linda as you move forward without your dear Gordie by your side. You were a special couple. We know you will an emptiness but we hope our friendship will help fill that gap a bit. We have many memories that will remain with us in the days to come. Your care for Gord during his illness will never be matched – he couldn’t have had better – you are fantastic. Our thoughts and love to you all.
Oh my you will be missed Gord. Your energy
and enthusiasm for life was inspiring.
Our love and sympathies go out to your dear wife, brothers and sisters and their families.
Our deepest sympathy for your loss,RIP Gordon